Green Operations

California Firm Fined for Emissions Violations

December 8, 2009
• by Staff

SACRAMENTO, CA --- The California Air Resources Board has fined Sturgeon & Son Inc. $14,500 for emissions violations during 2007 and 2008.

An ARB investigation concluded that Sturgeon & Son Inc., based in Bakersfield, failed to properly inspect some of its diesel vehicles, as required by California law. Sturgeon & Son specializes in heavy equipment earthwork projects, hazardous waste removal and transportation, and grading and paving services.

"Diesel exhaust contains toxic particles that are dangerous to human health," said ARB Enforcement Chief James Ryden. "Every effort companies make to keep their heavy-duty diesel vehicles in compliance with ARB's regulations helps to save lives."

The law requires owners of California-registered truck fleets to regularly inspect their vehicles to ensure that their engine emissions meet state air quality regulations.

As part of the settlement, Sturgeon & Son is required to:

Guarantee employees responsible for conducting the inspections attend a mandatory California community college class on diesel emissions and provide certificates of completion within one year

Provide documentation to ARB that the inspections are being carried out for the next four years

Instruct vehicle operators to comply with the state's idling regulations

A move by the White House to roll back automobile fuel-efficiency targets set by the Obama administration and to challenge the right of California and other states to set stricter tailpipe emission rules faces an uphill climb.

After a court challenge stymied its efforts to give makers of glider kits a reprieve from challenged provisions of its greenhouse gas regulations, the Environmental Protection Agency has withdrawn an order to not enforce those regulations against small manufacturers of glider kits.

A federal court has granted a temporary stay that suspends the decision by the Environmental Protection Agency to not enforce for 2018 and 2019 a 300-unit production cap put in place on the manufacture of glider kits/vehicles that do not comply with Phase 2 GHG emission rules.